The other day, I took my daughter to see a rags to riches film about a football team (our team!) who nearly went out of business, was saved by the fans, and 10 years later was appearing in a play-off final to reach the Premier League. Before the match started, each team’s announcer had a few minutes to get their fans ready. This team’s motivator worked really hard, and the hairs still stand up on the back of my neck when I hear him shouting to the fans “This…Is….OUR….Day!” – as the place went wild.
As I think about that moment, and I think about what I am trying to achieve, those four words motivate me – and they can motivate you. This Is OUR Day! Whatever, you and I are trying to be successful at, there is no reason why we cannot fulfil that vision – now!
You will have a vision for where you want to be on a personal level, and your organisation should have a vision of where it wants to be. How are you progressing in fulfilling the vision – personal or organisational? Are there obstacles in the way that you need to face up to and overcome? What is preventing you from becoming what you want to become? It can sometimes feel like a real struggle and you feel like giving up – I know, I’ve been there!
But it doesn’t have to be like that. Take inspiration from those words “This…Is….OUR….Day!”. You can do it. You can get there. Sit down and take stock of exactly where you are, and where you want to be. Think about what is in the middle stopping you moving from one place to the other? It may be a lack of confidence and belief. It may be certain individuals holding things back. It may be a situation or a circumstance that needs to be changed. Face up to the issue and recognise it for what it is.
Then, you need to plan strategies to overcome that obstacle. Think about what you need to do to smash through that wall or jump over the barrier. Get whatever help you need to do that (I’d be happy to help!!). And then you will find that this is YOUR day as you become what you want to be – or even better than that as your goals and vision will then change and you start the process all over again!!
This is a principle that I am learning at the moment – facing, overcoming, becoming – but I’m trying it out and finding it very helpful. I started my business a couple of years ago, catching whatever time I could to give to it outside of my day job that gave me the security, but making little progress in getting to where I wanted to be. Then my circumstances changed and I had a decision to make. A couple of decent contracts helped but I dived full-time into my business – and I am loving it!! There are struggles and worries, but also excitement and variety, and I can see a chance of fulfilling the vision of my business far better now.
I am in a situation where I can hear the words “This…Is….OUR….Day!” and think that, yeh, maybe, just maybe it is. As I face and overcome, then I find myself becoming a little bit more like I want to be. All of this has changed the focus of my business from just offering certain products and services to saying to those running churches and charities “what are the obstacles to you and/or your organisation fulfilling the vision and becoming what you/it wants to be?” Whatever comes from that discussion will inform how I – or others that I can bring in – can help to achieve that success.
I am currently rewriting my website to reflect this – but I believe that this will help my business to become what I want it to be.
So don’t give up on your dreams and vision – face up to the obstacles, overcome them however you can and become more like what you want to be. And remember as you think through these thoughts
“This….Is….OUR….Day!!”
*Inspiration for this blog comes from two sources:
Kev Johns – chaplain and announcer for Swansea City Football Club and the reminder from the film Jack to a King (well worth a viewing!!)
Nigel Ipinson-Fleming – pastor of Bethlehem Church Life Centre, Cefn Cribwr